Lagerstroemia plant named &#39;PIILAG-I&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lagerstroemia  plant named ‘PIILAG-I’, characterized by its dwarf, rounded growth habit that is maintained over time without shoot reversions, reddish new growth and dark green foliage in summer, white flowers, and resistance to powdery mildew and  Cercospora  leaf spot.

GENUS AND SPECIES OF PLANT CLAIMED

Lagerstroemia L.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘PIILAG-I’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofLagerstroemia plant, botanically known as Lagerstroemia L., commonlyknown as crapemyrtle, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name‘PIILAG-I’.

The new Lagerstroemia plant originated from an open-pollination ofLagerstroemia ‘Gamad V’ (U.S. Pat. No. 17,411) in 1999-2000. Thecultivar ‘PIILAG-I’ originated and was discovered in a cultivatedenvironment in Dearing, Ga.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by stem cuttings inWatkinsville, Ga. for three years has shown that all the unique featuresof this new Lagerstroemia, as herein described, are stable andreproduced true-to-type through successive generations of such asexualpropagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new cultivar ‘PIILAG-I’ have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withchanges in light, temperature, soil and rainfall without, however, anyvariance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe unique characteristics of ‘PIILAG-I’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘PIILAG-I’ as a new and distinct cultivar: 1.Dwarf, rounded growth habit that is maintained over time without shootreversions; 2. Reddish new growth and dark green foliage in summer; 3.White flowers; 4. Resistance to powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot.

Plants of the new Lagerstroemia ‘PIILAG-I’ differ from plants of theparent, ‘Gamad V’, primarily in flower color and emerging foliage color.Plants of ‘Gamad V’ have pink flowers and foliage that emergesyellow-green, whereas plants of ‘PIILAG-I’ have white flowers andfoliage that emerges reddish green.

Plants of the new Lagerstroemia can be compared to plants of thecultivar ‘Gamad III’ U.S. Pat. No. 17,171. However, in side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Watkinsville, Ga., plants of the newLagerstroemia differed from plants of the cultivar ‘Gamad III’ in thefollowing characteristics: 1. Plants of the new Lagerstroemia wereconsistently dwarf and did not produce reversion shoots, whereas plantsof the cultivar ‘Gamad III’ would frequently produce reversion shootsand outgrow their original dwarf habit; 2. Plants of the newLagerstroemia produced more inflorescences per plant than similar sizedplants of the cultivar ‘Gamad III’; 3. Plants of the new Lagerstroemiawere more vigorous, produced a saleable plant faster, and were moreuniform in habit than plants of the cultivar ‘Gamad III’; 4. Plants ofthe new Lagerstroemia were more resistant to Cercospora leaf spot thanplants of the cultivar ‘Gamad III’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color photographs illustrate the flower and foliagecharacteristics and the overall appearance of the new Lagerstroemia,showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain incolor reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differslightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanicaldescription which accurately describe the colors of the newLagerstroemia.

FIG. 1 illustrates the overall appearance of a mature plant of‘PIILAG-I’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of the inflorescences of ‘PIILAG-I’.

FIG. 3 illustrates a close-up view of the new growth of ‘PIILAG-I’.

FIG. 4 illustrates a comparison of ‘PIILAG-I’ (center) to ‘Gamad III’with reversions (left and right), respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for thedescription were approximately two and a half years old and were grownin 11.8 L containers under outdoor conditions in Watkinsville, Ga.Colors are described using The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart(R.H.S.).

-   Botanical classification: Lagerstroemia L., cultivar ‘PIILAG-I’.    Parentage: Female, or seed, parent — Lagerstroemia ‘Gamad V’. Male,    or pollen, parent — unknown (open-pollinated). Propagation: Type    cutting — terminal cuttings. Time to initiate roots, summer — about    21 days at 32° C.-   Plant description: Flowering shrub; dwarf, rounded, multi-branched    growth habit. Freely branching; pruning enhances lateral branch    development.    -   -   Root description.—numerous, fine, fibrous and well-branched.        -   Plant size.—the original plant, now about 10 years old, is            about 60 cm in height from the soil level to the top of the            inflorescences, and about 100 cm in diameter. First year            stems having a diameter of about 2 mm. Shape: squarish.            Second year and older stems have a diameter of about 4 mm or            more. Shape: round.        -   Trunk diameter.—about 1.7 cm at the soil line. Color: close            to 199D.        -   Internode length.—about 1.5 cm.        -   Strength.—flexible when young, easily broken once mature.        -   First year stem color (young).—close to 185A. Color (woody):            close to 164A.        -   Second year and older stem color.—close to 199B.        -   Bark.—exfoliates in strips beginning on second or third year            stems.-   Vegetative buds: Sub-opposite to alternate in arrangement,    imbricate, conical, with no pubescence. Color: close to 175B. Size:    about 3 mm in length and 2 mm in width.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—sub-opposite to alternate, simple. Length:            about 3.3 cm. Width: about 1.7 cm. Shape: elliptical. Apex:            acute. Base: cuneate. Margin: entire. Surface: undulating.        -   Texture (upper surface and lower surfaces).—glabrous.        -   Venation pattern.—pinnate. Venation color of emerging            foliage (upper and lower surfaces): close to 179A. Venation            color of mature foliage (upper surface): close to 144B.            Venation color of mature foliage (lower surface): close to            144D.        -   Color in developing foliage (upper and lower surface).—close            to 179B. Color in fully expanded foliage (upper surface):            close to 137A. Color in fully expanded foliage (lower            surface): close to 146B.        -   Color of leaf margin in developing foliage (upper and lower            surfaces).—close to 179A. Color of leaf margin in mature            foliage (upper and lower surfaces): ranges from 179B to            144B.        -   Fall color.—ranges from 1C to 5C.        -   Petiole length.—about 1 mm. Petiole diameter: about 1 mm.            Petiole color: close to 183B. Pubescence: none.-   Flower description: Flowers are produced during July and August in    Watkinsville, Ga. An inflorescence is showy for about two weeks, and    individual flowers last about one day and are self-cleaning.    -   -   Inflorescence type.—panicle. Inflorescence length: about            10 cm. Inflorescence width: about 10 cm.        -   Peduncle.—about 8.5 cm in length, about 1.5 mm in diameter,            color is close to 144A, and no pubescence.        -   Individual flowers.—about 2 cm by 2.5 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: about 6 mm; Diameter: about 6 mm;            Color: close to 149C, maturing close to 47A.        -   Pedicels.—about 6 mm in length, close to 144A in color, and            no pubescence.        -   Calyx.—about 6 mm in length, about 6 mm in diameter, color            close to 144A, and no pubescence.-   Petals:    -   -   Arrangement/appearance.—usually 6 per flower.        -   Petal length.—about 1.2 cm.        -   Petal width.—about 1 cm.        -   Petal shape.—fan-shaped. Petal apex: ruffled, rounded. Petal            base: sagittate. Petal margin: ruffled. Petal texture (upper            and lower surfaces): glabrous.        -   Petal color.—upper and lower surfaces are close to N155A.-   Stamens:    -   -   Quantity/arrangement.—About 20 to 25 short stamens clustered            in the center, about 7 mm long, filament color is close to            155C, and anther color is close to 16A. The short stamens            are surrounded by 6 longer stamens, about 1.3 cm long.            Filament color is close to 65B, and anther color is close to            16A. The stamens are not pubescent.        -   Pollen.—produced in moderate quantities and is close to 145C            in color.-   Pistils:    -   -   Quantity.—One superior pistil per flower. Pubescence: none.            Pistil length: about 2 cm in length. Stigma shape: round,            about 1 mm in diameter. Stigma color: close to 148B. Style            color: close to 181D and about 1.2 cm in length. Ovary            color: close to 160A and about 2 mm in diameter.-   Fruit:    -   -   Type/appearance.—six-valved, dehiscent, broad ellipsoidal            capsule. Length: about 8 mm. Diameter: about 6 mm. Mature            color: close to 200C. Each capsule contains multiple seeds            that are about 5 mm long, 3 mm wide, and close to 200C in            color.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the claimed Lagerstroemia variety    grown in field and container trials have exhibited resistance to    powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot.

1. A new and distinct Lagerstroemia plant named ‘PIILAG-I”, asillustrated and described herein.